The present invention relates to partition systems, and in particular to an off-module panel connector and related method.
Modern offices, and more particularly office partition systems, are becoming increasingly complicated and sophisticated due largely to the ever-increasing needs of the users for improved reconfigurability, functionality, utility support, and the need for additional readily attachable furniture components.
The efficient use of building floor space is an ever-growing concern, particularly as building costs continue to escalate. In an effort to reduce these costs, open office plans have been developed, wherein generally large, open floor spaces are equipped with modular furniture systems which are readily reconfigurable to accommodate the ever-changing needs of a specific user, as well as the divergent requirements of different tenants. One arrangement commonly used for furnishing these open spaces includes movable partition panels which are detachably interconnected in a preselected configuration to partition or segment the open spaces into individual workstations and/or offices. Such partition panels can be set up or installed in a variety of configurations, and are reconfigurable, thereby responding to the changing needs of the office environment. For example, to allow for maximum design flexibility, the partitions should be configurable such that the panels can be attached in either an “on-module” configuration, wherein the panels are interconnected to the main run of panels (also called the “spine wall”) at the ends thereof, or an “off-module” configuration, wherein the panels are interconnected to the “spine wall” intermediate the ends thereof.
Typically, these partition systems also include a series of horizontal and vertical slots or openings disposed along the top and side edges of the panel, respectively. The slots are designed to receive hang-on furniture accessories, such as worksurfaces, overhead cabinets, shelves, binder bins, etc., generally known in the office furniture industry as “systems furniture”. These partition systems may also include modular furniture components which address the increased need and desirability for distributing utilities throughout the various offices in a manner which can be readily reconfigured. The term “utilities”, as used herein, is meant to include a wide variety of facilities and/or components for use at a workstation and includes security devices, electrical power, signal and/or communications, HVAC, water and other fluids, and other similar resources. The ability to provide the worker with ready access to all of these utilities is clearly advantageous in the quest to promote worker well-being and effectiveness. These types of modular furniture systems, as well as others, have been well received due largely to their ability to be readily reconfigured and/or moved to a new site since they are not part of a permanent leasehold improvement.
In order to gain increased efficiency in the use of expensive office real estate, attempts are now being made to support high paid knowledge workers with these types of modular furniture systems in open office settings. However, in order to ensure peak efficiency of such knowledge workers, the workstations must be equipped with these various state-of-the-art utilities and facilities as discussed above. Additionally, these same workstations must be readily reconfigurable to effectively meet the ever-changing needs of the user.
The distribution and control of utilities throughout a comprehensive open office plan, while simultaneously providing for the unique requirements of the office user, has emerged as a major challenge to the office furniture industry. Accordingly, a furniture construction solving the aforementioned problems is desired.